


Poetry of Love

by IzzyLou



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, Fanatical Fam's Holiday Fic Exchange 2020, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:35:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28241754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IzzyLou/pseuds/IzzyLou
Summary: Severus and Gilderoy celebrate Christmas.
Relationships: Gilderoy Lockhart/Severus Snape
Comments: 3
Kudos: 30
Collections: Fanatical Fam's: Holiday Fic Exchange





	Poetry of Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SonOfAMuggle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonOfAMuggle/gifts).



> Written for the Holiday Fic Exchange 2020

Severus whispered a string of expletives, adding on a few more for not being allowed to utter them aloud in his own chambers. Why did he put up with that man! That horribly vain, narcissistic, flamboyant man. That man whose voice now floated down the corridor „You know I can still hear you, love!“. Severus shook his head and smiled to himself. That was why. At first it was simply that he had accepted Severus’ darkness. He hadn’t questioned or judged his past. And this acceptance, which was all Severus had ever longed for, had grown. Slowly at first, barely noticeably, until one day Severus had realized that he didn’t want to part with this particular fool. Gilderoy would scold him for his language or try to buy him robes in cheerful colours. Severus would growl and snap or scavenge Gilderoy’s bouquets for potions ingredients. And they would fight like cats and dogs. But at the end of the day they would always kiss and make up. Because they had found something worth keeping in each other. 

Which was what Severus was trying to make himself remember as he sat at his desk, scowling down at the pile of crumpled parchment and the quill he had just broken in his frustration. „It’s your fault, you know“, he yelled back. A peal of laughter drifted to him. He cleaned up the mess of ink and feathers with a quick spell and surveyed his progress. It was pitiable. And he could just feel his lover’s amusement radiating off him, as his blonde head appeared in the open doorway. „You’ve got ink on your nose, love“, he said in a cheerful tone. Severus scowled up at him, but there was no malice behind it. „Also your fault“ he grumbled, „now leave me to the misery you have condemned me to“. Gilderoy’s eyes crinkled and he blew a kiss at his lover. Severus rolled his eyes, but looked distinctly less grumpy. „Don’t you have something to write as well?“ He called after the man, earning himself another peal of laughter. 

Gilderoy left Severus’ study, smiling. Indeed he did. He summoned his best scented parchment and his favourite peacock quill, and started writing with a flourish. One would think he had asked Severus to pen down his last will and testament, the way he had reacted to his idea. But then again, that might have come easier to the reserved and pessimistic man than writing a love poem to his partner of nearly two years… Gilderoy finished his scroll, dried the ink with a spell and rolled up the parchment. He was proud of his idea to exchange romantic poetry this year instead of getting each other gifts that, frankly, usually missed the mark. Colourful shirts, scented soaps and once (foolishly) even jewelry for Severus had been met with forced appreciation and then used once to appease him. Black robes, history books and a home-brewed hair-potion for himself had met a similar fate. Eventually the presents had been reclaimed by their givers and the anxiety levels over finding the right gift had risen. So something less material and more sentimental seemed like the perfect idea. And Severus was so gifted with his words, and that deep sultry voice did things to his insides… The sound of the floo activating finally pulled Gilderoy from his daydreams.

Severus rubbed his tired face, adding to the ink stain on his nose. The pile of discarded parchments had grown considerably in the last hour, but the heavy silver parchment he had selected for the finished poem remained blank. He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of glass shattering and Gilderoy cursing. His wand in hand he flew into the living room to defend his lover from whomever may have gotten him to use such language himself, after all he had heard the floo going about a half an hour ago. But the only possible attacker in the room was a highly decorated tree, standing 12 feet tall and half the room wide. A tree that had most definitely not been there that morning. And beside it stood a sheepish Gilderoy, clutching his hand and a broken ornament. „Sorry, love, I broke the star on top. I just wanted to surprise you for the season“ He said with an apprehensive smile. Severus took his bleeding hand and, plucking a shard of glass from the wound, gently healed the gash. As he looked up at his lovers hopeful face he smiled and kissed the freshly healed hand. „You have to be more careful, love“ he muttered „our colleagues might think I have finally cracked and butchered you if they found you bleeding in our living room“. Now it was Gilderoy’s turn to roll his eyes „Just say you like it, you git“, he muttered as he leaned up to steal a kiss. Severus gave in to the kiss. „It’s… very… you“ he stated. „Not good enough, love“, the other man countered. „It’s very… cheerful?“ „Git“ „Yes, I like it, you meddlesome man. Happy?“ He grumbled and kissed him again, pulling the now beaming man in question closer und deepening the kiss. „Happy“ he breathed when they finally let go. „But now back to work, and don’t think I didn’t notice your distraction tactics there, love.“ He playfully shoved his chuckling partner away. „Distraction tactics?“ Severus asked with a look of pure innocence, „I was simply conveying my gratitude for our lovely, colourful Christmas tree“. He waved his wand and added a glowing star of pure magic to the top. „Show-off“ grumbled Gilderoy „and I did add several black ornaments just for you“. At that he pointed out a raven (formerly a white dove charmed to be black), an angel dressed in all black (looking remarkably like Severus in his teaching robes, all the way down to the drawn on scowl), a garland of black stars and hearts, and several black baubles. „But now get back to it, tomorrow is Christmas eve and I have big plans for the day“.   
Severus groaned, but returned to his study. Gilderoy having big plans could mean any number of things, but it definitely meant BIG plans. So he would have to finish his foray into poetry tonight. 

He didn’t entirely know why he was having such difficulty with it. True, he was not a demonstrative man, and he had always had trouble expressing his feelings. But he was a masterful wordsmith when it came to the intimidation of students and the misleading of masters, and he truly did love Gilderoy. And that should be enough to write a single poem. He added all the scribbled attempts piling on his desk to the pile on the floor and vanished it. Closing his eyes he thought about the man who had just charmed some of his favourite old ornaments black, just to please him. He thought about the unfalteringly positive outlook of his lover that had chipped away at his own pessimism piece by piece. He thought about how his life had changed for the better, and he wrote.

Christmas Eve dawned cold and bright as Gilderoy and Severus disapparated from the grounds, bundled up in scarves and hats, to enjoy a day away from the castle sledding in the welsh mountains. Severus’ rare bellowing laughter echoed in the snowy hills, far away from prying eyes and controlling masters. And the sound warmed Gilderoy more than hot chocolate and warming charms and hours in front of a fire in their little ski-hut. After returning to the castle, they joined the rest of the school for the obligatory Christmas feast in the great hall, and fell into bed that night, exhausted but happy. 

Gilderoy was awakened by the smell of coffee and bacon, and could hear his lover puttering about in the kitchen. Despite the house elves’ excellent cooking Severus still insisted that wizards simply couldn’t brew a decent cup of coffee. A moment later Severus came back into the bedroom, carrying a tray bearing a full English breakfast, two steaming cups of coffee, and a sprig of mistletoe. He floated it over the bed and slid back under the covers next to his lover. „Merry Christmas“ he murmured between kisses. „Merry Christmas, love“ came the sleepy reply. Gilderoy pulled Severus closer, and the tray of food was soon forgotten. When their grumbling stomachs could no longer be ignored they reheated their food with a charm, Severus brewed a fresh pot of coffee, and they huddled in front of the fireplace, admiring the twinkling lights of the tree and soaking in each others warmth, watching the silent snowfall in front of their windows. When the food had been eaten and the tray had disappeared Gilderoy summoned the scroll containing his poem, handing it over with a kiss. Severus opened the scroll, coughing slightly at the scent wafting from the page, and read: 

Oh Severus, thine eyes  
They shine like onyx pure  
Thine lips so soft and tender  
Thou art my longings cure

Upon the day of our encounter  
The stars shone bright above  
Sparkling far brighter than my smile  
Oh Severus, my love

A thousand roses could not match  
The beauty of thine loving face  
Not fame nor fortune lure me more  
Than being in thine sweet embrace

Oh Severus, thou art the one  
That set my heart aflame  
My life has blossomed and henceforth  
Shall never be the same.

Severus rolled up the parchment and smiled at the man beside him, his eyes shining a little brighter than usual in the firelight „You truly are a poet. Thank you.“ he whispered, his voice tinged with emotion. He cleared his throat and silently summoned his silver scroll, handing it over with an apprehensive look. Gilderoy gave him a reassuring smile and unrolled the heavy paper. Handing it back to Severus he said “read it to me“. And in his full baritone Severus spoke:

„On dark days  
Your love brings light

On cold nights  
You warm me

You give my patronus life  
So darkness cannot harm me.“

There was a moment of silence, only broken by the crackling of the fire behind them. „I love you, Severus“ Gilderoy whispered through his tears „and that is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard.“ „I love you, Gilderoy. And Merry Christmas“. 

The End.

**Author's Note:**

> ✨Have a magical Christmas!✨


End file.
